Sky Mesa muscle & water

further away, the pronghorn herd moved uneasily. khusobek was briefly annoyed by how zaahira had rounded on him rather than them, but he had solicited her opinion after all.

the dark red ears flicked. she castigated him and in it the crocodile thought he saw affection, no matter how exasperated. he looked up as her shadow fell across him, a feral smirk curving his mouth ever so slowly as her rant continued.

"i can see how much you hate him. but he is Divine Consort. what he wishes, he will have. it was i who encouraged her to seek him out, and it is plain he enjoyed what was offered "

in the heat of the baking desert, khusobek became ice: "suppose the queen cannot bear children? suppose she does but they are sickly? who else will carry a lineage? there is permanent safety in that; i want inji to be protected by the bloodline itself." happiness! would she be happy with a rough man who could not keep from dallying in other warm countries?